Advise for Alan

Graham had asked Alan (see Alan´s latest blog entry) how he will manage to put his boat on top of the Van and I´d like to share an idea which I had used for my other dinghy. Of course Alan, you must de-rig, or maybe your Father can help you lazy bugger, otherwise the next short circuit (Kurzschluss) in Murcia will be yours.

Other than reading from the post and subsequent reply, I would like to recommend Travemünde 2011 to you guys. The Moths are not at the wurst-mile, we are located on the other side, behind the "PASSAT". And we are launching from the big beach there. Some surprises are planned but I cannot take away from our organizers the glory which will go with it. I think that the location alone will bring us together a bit more, if that is what you are aiming for. And you should not worry about the following:

1. Weed: We will take care of it, raking it away for you or we will have wind from offshore and it´s been blown away.
2. Money: Don´t worry, your spouses will be able to spend loads on the other side whilst you are swimming errg foiling.
3. Arrest: If you have not heart until today, the iron curtain isn´t anymore. If you are washed into the shore, you are still in (West) Germany and you can take a taxi home and pay with €´s.

That is convincing, isn´t it?

DN Season is finished, Moth is coming.

There had been small hopes for a Danish Championship last weekend but due to rain and temperatures above zero it had to be cancelled and I took the opportunity to clean and oil and check my gear and to stow it away after taking some notes for the start of the next season. There is some work to do after the last couple of seasons being lazy, but I cannot do the work now, when the spring is lurking around the corner and early spring flowers start to blossom.

Today I have received confirmation of the new boat (MACH2) to be supplied to the Pro-Vela for an early season practice session in the beginning of April. Good job so far by the M2 team. Hopefully the customs declaration will run a bit smoother other than for the parts from SailingBits, which I had ordered for myself and Moth friends. Wanted to make life easier for them but with our customs authorities clinging to their jobs with overseas deliveries, it now becomes a small problem to get the goods out of customs. As my friends are located in different places, I am sure it would have been messy for them to get hold of the parts. I am sending my charming colleague out tomorrow to talk to the bureaucratics in Flensburg.

If things with the new boat to be delivered to Spain are not going according to the plan, I am sure that Alan would appreciate, if I send him the stunning girl to help with custom house bureaucrazy (!)

Edit. A video called: The Making of Eissegeln Europameisterschaft Saaremaa 2011. Heli Videos
Edit. 17.3.2011: Another one I really like to recommend: DN EC 2011 on CNN Mainsail
Edit. 22.3.2011: The German TV report at: ZDF report

Moth Fest Report

Saturday, 22nd of May, 10.30h, high Altitude above the clouds on my way home from the Moth Fest. Yes, flying in the Air and not flying on the foils as most of the other participants will just do in the final races at the Moth Fest in Mar Menor. What an incredible week it was. I had arrived last Sunday just in time for the briefing given by Simon Payne and Alan Hillman. I had missed the Paela but than I did not had to assemble my boat as I had chartered one of Alan´s well prepared Bladeriders. I will not be able to report day by day as the days flew by quicker than I can remember. There was sailing everyday and there were lectures and training and a mixture of fun races. The last one will stick in my memory for long. The "around the Island and than head for beach bar" event on my last day. It was blowing 15kn and it was a long distance group flight. Not sailing for first or last but staying together as a group of 12 sailors and foiling along with 15-20kn of speed on a tight reach and than after rounding the island letting it loose on the downwind to the bar. There were some very fast Brits reaching 23+ kn on their GPS´s.

After some great laughs, a good conversation and food and drinks we hit to the water again and foiled home from the Beach Bar. The waves and wind had builded up a bit and some participants reported about nose dives later on. I had a great ride but due to the speed and splash of the water into my face I lost my ML sunshade. A pity but it was the only loss on the trip. My luagage is more heavy than on the way in as adding the Sponsors give aways and prizes, I take more things home than I got on my way out to Narejo, Mar Menor.

Tuesday, 25th, after recovering from the trip: It is the one thing which strikes my mind and gave me inspiration to this blog entry (all day by day action you can read elsewhere, go to: Moth Blogger News...) I think the heart and soul of this great event had been David Hillman. Besides giving a helping hand and tools to anyone requesting he took care of so many things in the background which made us all feel like home. The ones who had not been to Alan´s PRO-VELA sailing school before could of course not have noticed the changes in and around the place to make it most comfortable for us. From the sun umbrella to the big empty space for the rigging area and the preparation for hanging up the sails over night without de-rigging, everything was well sorted. As I was not there on the Sunday for the last prize giving and usually I am the one to bring out cheers for the organizers and helpers let me do this here: To Alan, to David and to all the Gentlemen helping out on the rescue boats: You did a phantastic job. You promissed a great event and you delivered. Three cheers and a big "HIPP HIPP HURRAY" "HIPP HIPP HURRAY" "HIPP HIPP HURRAY".

Fred's Mar Menor holiday blog

Sorry "Fred" is unable to be with you this evening...he is recuperating!

For those of you who read about Fred's antics on ice and water you probably think of him as 30-40 year old hi speed adrenalin junkie...which he is....., except for the 30-40 year old bit. Manfred would best be described as being more senior (substantially!) then Amac.

So here he is up to 4 hours a day in the Mar Menor in Southern Spain giving it heaps every day on one of our Bladeriders. The holy grail for Manfred is the 100% foiling gybe (the same for most mortals) frankly if I get to Manfreds seniority I would be bloody grateful if 1. I make it that far and 2. Am still able to get on my moth! Manfred was out last year on his own and gave me a bit of pasting in the light stuff....fortunately I have stuck a few hours at it and obviously upgraded my technology so it wouldn't happen again! So, Manfred brings out his mate Andreas........after only 3 days the guy is now foil gybing and looking really comfortable spearing it down hill...really annoying! Fate eventually played his hand and he is now sporting a fashionable shroud stripe down his face. If he foil tacks before he goes home I am giving up...here is Manfred.
Alan Hillman
Pro-Vela

UK 0044 7917 678299
Spain 0034 609 822488
E. alan@pro-vela.com
SKYPE: alanhillman
W. www.pro-vela.com

A few days on the Moth

PRO-Vela in Murcia, Spain. A great place. Boats in pristine conditions. Very nice people. You better hurry up and find out yourself. The only drawback had been a nasty cold which stayed with me all week long. Nevertheless the sailing was great and I am planning to come back. To find out more just take the Internet address from the boat or sail on which I am flying on (look Ma!) Click the photo to enlarge it.